A staff member works on the production line of a semiconductor manufacturer in Binzhou, Shandong province. [Photo by Chu Baorui/For China Daily]

East China's Shandong province has launched a slew of measures to accelerate the development of the digital economy, which includes digital industrialization, industrial digitization, data value, digital infrastructure, scientific and technological innovation, data security, and digital governance.

In recent years, the new-generation of information technology represented by big data and artificial intelligence has developed rapidly, and the digital economy has become an important engine for economic and social transformation globally and the high-quality development of the regional economy, Shandong authorities said. 

The province will ramp up efforts to make breakthroughs in the high-quality development of the new generation information technology industry, speed up the rollout of new infrastructure, which includes 5G networks, data centers and artificial intelligence, as well as accelerate the construction of smart cities.

It will push forward the digitalized and intelligent transformation of retail, medical, financial, education, tourism and other industries to enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs.

By the end of 2022, Shandong will have 60,000 5G base stations in operation. National backbone networks and metropolitan area networks will be coordinated and fortified with higher bandwidth. Gigabit fiber optic networks will be remodeled to deliver faster connections in more cities.

Shandong will also carry out research and development of more than 20 key core technologies in 5G, big data, artificial intelligence, block chain, quantum communication, integrated circuits and key electronic components, and high-end industrial software.